By Henry Martin For Mailonline
Published: 19:58 BST, 12 April 2019 | Updated: 19:59 BST, 12 April 2019
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Members of a university free speech society must attend equality and diversity training after 'joke' messages calling for 'Nazi' brownshirts to patrol the campus were leaked.
Liberty Union was suspended for the remainder of the academic year by the University of Kent Union, following allegations of racism, and an appeal against the ruling was denied yesterday.
Dozens of messages were allegedly leaked from the debating society's Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp groups and found to have breached student union guidelines.
But UKC Liberty Union insisted the 'jokes' had been taken out of context and there was 'no racism or malicious intent whatsoever.'
Pictured: Some of the leaked messages, reported to be from the Liberty Union at the University of Kent
The organisation was suspended by the Kent Union (pictured) after the messages were found to have breached student union guidelines
In one leaked message, a member wrote: 'We need a student watch. like neighbourhood watch but with cool brownshirts, cute armbands and billy clubs.'
Responding to the message, a group member said 'and a Students for Liberty pin' while another response added 'sounds lit AF.'
Further messages included one member claiming he had contact details for former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson.
Kent Union proclaimed the society was in breach of
